Dark Awakenings
by marianat011
Summary: After Edward leaves, Bella decides to leave Forks to Fell's Church, Virginia. There she finds her two brothers, Damon and Stefan. When the Cullens come into town to investigate the mysterious attacks, they learn Bella's secret. She's a vampire too. PERMANENT HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
1. New Beginnings, Old Secrets

**Broken Awakenings **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. If I did, I would make sure the Twilight **

**movies didn't suck and the Vampire Diaries would have followed the books more...among other **

**things. **

_'Welcome To Fell's Church'_ a sign read on the side of the road. After

hours of driving nonstop, I had finally reached my destination. I'm not really

sure why I picked Virginia of all places to come to after I Forks. Fell's Church

sort of drew me in. It seemed to exude power somehow. It was around midnight and

the town was shrouded in darkness. As I drove through the town, not even the one

motel they had was open. Didn't they get any tourists? It appeared not.

Perfect cookie cutter houses lined the streets. They were all polished, well

kept Victorian style houses with yellowing lawns and picket fences. A thick fog

had begun to roll in from the woods that surrounded the town. I ignored the

eeriness of it all and continued to mindlessly cruise the quiet streets.

I thought about how sad Charlie looked when I said I was going to live with

Renee and Phil for a while. I just couldn't stand being in Forks anymore.

Everything reminded me of him. I just couldn't handle the constant

reminders.

I wondered what would have happened if I told him the truth about what I

really was. I wasn't a delicate human by the name of Isabella Swan. The real

Isabella was the classic party girl who had a bit too much fun one night at a

party and ended up overdosing. I found the girl lying face down in a park. I

kindly buried her body in the desert where no one would look and followed her

scent back to her home. Renee seemed pleased when I took her daughter's place.

She thought her daughter had cleaned up her act. Being born in a completely

different time, I was taught manners and good behavior. When one was high class

society in the Italian Renaissance, being less than perfect would jeopardize the

social status. My father was the great Counte Giuseppe di Salvatore, making me

Isabella Maria di Salvatore.

I had two brothers; Damon who was nineteen and entering college with a

rebellious reputation and Stefan, the kind seventeen year old that couldn't

stand Damon's antics. Damon blamed Stefan for our mother's death. When Stefan

was born, our mother became ill. She wanted to have a daughter and five years of

trying, I was born. She died shortly after, but Damon never blamed me. I brought

out the good side in him.

Everything was going swimmingly until a pretty blonde by the name of

Katherine came into our lives. She took a liking to Stefan and it seemed they'd

end up getting married in the future until Damon came back, declaring he was

dropping out of college. Katherine was charmed by him, too. They wanted her to

choose who she wanted but told them,_ 'I'll decide tonight.' _The little

witch went to both of them and shared blood. When my brothers found out, they

turned on each other and Katherine ran away. They found her 'ashes' along with

her clothes and ring to protect her from the sun lying beside a tree. My brother

fought to the death, but because Katherine shared enough blood with both of

them, they came back to life and I never saw them again.

I was now the only child and my father pressured me to find a good husband to

carry the throne. I was only twelve at the time, but he kept setting me up with

older men for he thought he might not live much longer. This upset him and it

caused him to drink a lot. In his drunken rages, he beat me and it was then I

understood Damon's constant rebellion with our father. He was protecting both

Stefan and I from our father. He took it for all of us.

I did what was best for me - run away. I spent four years traveling town to

town and I saw Katherine alive and well walking the streets of a small town just

east of Florence. She had faked her own death. That bitch! I too knew what she

was and I wanted revenge. I eventually found a lonely woman near the mountains

to turn me. I never saw Katherine or my brothers again. I was beginning to lose

hope.

I had wandered off Main Street and onto a desolate path. It was surrounded by

the woods and I was about to turn around when I saw a faint light in the

distance. A boarding house sat in a clearing. It was old, but well kept. I drove

up to the boarding house and parked the truck in the field beside it. I braved

the cold, duffle bags in tow, and hurriedly ran to the door and knocked. Nothing

happened, so dejectedly I turned around back to my truck when the door opened. A

small woman in stripped pajamas looked out. She had pure white hair that was

held in a low chignon and a curious look on her face.

"Yes?" She said.

"I was wondering if you had any rooms available." I motioned towards the

building.

"It depends. Step closer, dear." I stepped near the door for her to look me

up and down. She nodded and mhm'd a few times. "Yes, I do have a room available

for you." I smiled at her.

"Come in." She opened the door all the way and stood inside.

**Well, there you go. I reposted it. I promise I'll get back to the story soon. For now, read and review! **

**It makes me feel a little less alone...**


	2. Starting Over

**Hello, again. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own a damn thing. **

**Story time!**

I stepped inside the boarding house; taking full advantage of the warm air that hit me. The house was rather plain. The yellow wallpaper that covered the walls was bare and peeling in the corners. The woman quietly led me through the house and up several flights of creaking stairs until we reached the top floor. She opened the small door in the very corner and turned on the bedroom light. It was much better than I anticipated. A large bed was sitting in the middle of the room, facing an old fashioned vanity. A wardrobe sat next to the balcony doors, which overlooked the woods just beyond the house.

"Thank you, it's very nice, Mrs…" I turned to her.

"Ms. Flowers." She said, turning to leave. There was something odd about her, but I could put my finger on what. I didn't dwell on it long because I became distracted by my thirst. I stepped out onto the balcony, feeling the cold through my sweater. I wouldn't go far, I decided. A few birds would keep me satisfied until I found a…donor.

I had found a bird and a small rabbit near the house. I hadn't meant to drain the rabbit completely; I guess I was thirstier than I had thought. I placed the small carcass under a tree and stood to find a crow sitting on a branch, watching me with keen eyes. It almost seemed too intelligent to be an animal. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up and I quickly made my way back to the boarding house.

The sun woke me the next morning around seven. I decided to explore the town a little and made my way to the bathroom across the room. The hot water felt good on my skin after shivering for most of the night. I stared into the wardrobe to see what little apparel I had. Perhaps I should've taken Alice up on some of those shopping trips. I'd actually willingly go shopping if it meant they'd come back.

The girl in the mirror was pale and empty looking. She looked nothing like the girl from three months ago. That girl knew how to smile and laugh. I watched as her features melted into my own. Her eyes faded to a forest green, surrounded by thick black lashes and her cheeks were permanently rosy, as were her lips that were framed by dimples. Her hair became ebony waves and she shrunk down two inches and went to a size double zero. It was odd seeing _me_ in the mirror. Even though I had some resemblance to Bella Swan, which is part of the reason why I chose her, I still wasn't used to seeing myself. _Isabella Swan is dead_. I thought bitterly, as I turned to leave. That part of my life was over and I was glad.

I walked through the house and eventually found the exit. I didn't anticipate so many hallways and rooms. The air was cool as I stepped outside. Ms. Flowers was clearing out her dying garden. She turned to me, her eyes wide. I had forgotten about my appearance change.

"Don't worry, my mother told me about your 'make-over.' Though, I didn't expect it to be so drastic." She smiled.

"Oh?" I didn't know what to say.

"You remind me of someone."

"I do? Well, I'm going to check out the town." I said lamely, walking slowly to the field. Ms. Flowers waved as I drove away. The forest looked less menacing in the sunlight, but I couldn't help but think there was still something odd about it.

As I drove into town, people looked my way. I wasn't sure if it was the roaring engine or the fact that I was a newcomer in the town that I drew so much attention. Maybe it was time to get rid of my truck. I certainly had the funds. After being alive for over five hundred years, money accumulates.

I traded in my old truck for an inconspicuous red Honda. No one paid any attention to me as I drove through town again. I would miss my truck, but I needed to start over new. With that mindset, I dragged myself into the mini mall on the east side of town. As expected, they didn't have very many stores to choose from. As I wandered through the mall, people stopped and stared. A girl with auburn hair whispered something to the boy next to her and they started laughing. Others who stared at me whispered 'who is she?' I chose not to listen in on their thoughts for I knew better. Not everyone was as nice as they appeared and I wouldn't let some jealous peoples' comments get to me again. The last time that happened…it didn't end well. No one _died_, but a few were a bit traumatized. I'm sure they're okay now.

I went into a small store and began picking out clothes that would make Alice proud. I picked a cashmere sweater out of the rack and backed up to get a better look at it. I accidentally bumped into someone and turned to apologize. A girl about seventeen stared at me with an annoyed expression. She had pretty blonde hair and perfect lapis lazuli eyes. It couldn't be. I felt anger rise up in me and I immediately grabbed the stiletto next to me. If I was quick enough, I could stab the bitch before she realized what happened.

"Well?" She raised her eyebrows, waiting. I raised my hand quickly, stiletto poised to stab the girl in the neck when a hand grabbed mine from behind. I spun around to see who had ruined my one chance to destroy Katherine. A man, a little taller than me, held my hand with great strength. I looked up to see green eyes glaring at me under dark wavy hair. His eyes grew to the size of saucers and he dropped my hand. My mouth went dry and I felt like I was choking on air.

"Stefan?" I whispered.

**Well? Whatcha think? Review please : )**


	3. Lost and Found

**Why hello again! (I'm just going to keep all my old intros. I find them whimsical.)**

**I know I take forever but writer's block hit me in the face. I had to find inspiration again, which happened to be inside caramel taffy. I'm a bit hyper at the moment and will try not to make Bella too out of character.**

**I'm skipping school for you guys by the way. Just thank me by reviewing ;) Disclaimer still applies, sadly…On with the story…**

My dead heart thumped unevenly as I stared at the man in front of me. He stared at me with his wide green eyes. I dropped all the clothes, pointy stiletto included, on the floor and felt tears start to pour down my face.

"Stefan." I whispered as I threw myself into his chest. His arms held me tight as we both cried in the middle of the store. After a while, he pulled back and just stared at me with disbelief.

"You're alive. How? " I laughed, wiping my face.

"It's a long story."

"Of course it is. Let's go to the boarding house and talk." He said, helping me pick up the pile of clothes. From behind me, someone cleared their throat. I turned to see the bitch standing awkwardly behind me.

"Would you care to explain _this_?" I glared at the girl. He put his arm around me to stop me from lunging at her.

"This is my _human_ girlfriend, Elena. Elena, this is my little sister, Isabella." I looked at his incredulously.

"You found Katherine's doppelganger?" I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. He couldn't be serious. Why would anyone want to date the look alike of someone who tore his family apart? He looked uncomfortable.

"Elena isn't Katherine, Bella. Give her a chance." He pleaded. I sighed, but agreed to try. After paying for my clothes, we got in our cars and went to the boarding house. To my surprise, Stefan lived on the other side of the hall from me. His room was fairly similar to mine, but his had ancient items from our mansion in Italy. He must have gone back to claim some of his belongings.

We made ourselves comfortable, and then I launched into my story, neglecting to mention anything about _them. _Stefan and Elena remained quiet for my story, even the gruesome parts about my father beating me and what Katherine did to our family. Stefan said he mostly traveled around, not staying too long in one place. He told me about his run in with Katherine and how Elena had to die not once but twice and killed Katherine, saving both of my brothers. **(In the books, Elena drowns and become a vampire, then goes into the sun to kill Katherine and dies with her. She comes back as an angel thing that slowly transforms back into a human. Fascinating, right?) **

After hearing the story, I gained respect for Katherine's twin. Elena had a different vibe about her that Katherine never had. She seemed to exude confidence, while Katherine was meek and quiet, before she went crazy and tried to kill my brothers of course.

"So, where _is_ Damon?" I asked, expecting him to pop out of the hallway.

"He comes and goes as he pleases." Stefan said dismissively. Apparently, my brothers still didn't see eye to eye, but at least they hadn't tried to kill each other again.

"I'm going to go look for him. I'll see you later." I was anxious to see my oldest brother. I was never very patient- a trait I hid well when I was pretending to be human.

As I coasted through the town, I realized I had no clue where to begin searching for him. I stopped at several pool halls and bars, much to no avail. '_Maybe he isn't even in town._' I thought while walking through the last bar and grill in town. The Mystic Grill seemed to be the hang out spot for the locals. Teens were playing pool in the corner and chatting animatedly at tables. I zigzagged through the tables, plopping myself down on the bar stool.

"I'll have a Bloody Mary." I called to the bartender who raised his eyebrows. It was odd not having to keep up the facade of being a teenager anymore. Freedom. It was unfamiliar to me now.

"Do you have an I.D.?" He waited expectantly in front of me. I stood up, being too short for eye-level and said in a low voice, "You don't need my I.D. Go and make me a Bloody Mary…keep the change." I handed him a $1 bill, before he dazedly mixed my drink. He placed it in front of me. "You never saw me." I hopped off the stool and saw a man staring me.

"What?" I cocked my head to the side. He didn't see anything, did he?

"You new around here?" I felt relieved that I didn't have to use mind compulsion again. The man looked to be in his early twenties. He had blonde hair and blue eyes that looked glazed over.

"Yeah, actually I am." This made him smile.

"How 'bout I show you around?" I nodded, taking a sip of my drink to whet the thirst of blood that was taking over me at the moment. He guided me around the grill, pointing to people and listing them off. Maybe I was right about everyone knowing everyone. He slowly led me down a hallway and opened the bathroom door. I could hear his heart pounding in anticipation. He placed me on the sink and began touching my leg. I brushed my lips along his jaw line and made my way slowly down to his neck. His jugular vein was pulsing quickly under my lips. I felt my gums start to throb as my teeth protruded. I took a deep breath and bit into the soft skin, drinking in the warm, sticky liquid. After I reached the man's limits, I placed him on the floor none too gently and wiped my mouth.

"What a pig." I muttered as I picked up my drink and walked out of the bathroom. He'd wake up a few hours later with a major 'hangover' and forget anything had ever happened. Drinking from people like him lessened my guilt.

I walked dejectedly out of the Mystic Grill and back to my car. Damon would probably show up later. But I hadn't seen him in so long; waiting even another day would kill me. I pulled my keys out of my pocket only to drop them in the mud.

"Shoot." I picked the keys up with my fingernails and cleaned them off. I unlocked my car and looked up to see where I had placed my Bloody Mary. The black crow was sitting on my hood, watching me again. I gasped in surprise. It hopped closer, studying me carefully. _It's just a stupid bird. _I reminded myself. I waved my hands at it, but it wouldn't move. I jumped into my car and drove quickly away. I saw the bird fly off my car and onto a street light. What was it with this town and its birds?

I made my way back to the boarding house, slowing down on the dirt path. Maybe I was just paranoid. The break up had really messed with me and now I was seeing a deranged crow everywhere. I parked my car in the field and tried to calm myself before walking inside.

I found Stefan and Elena still in his room, talking on his bed.

"No luck?" He asked as I passed by.

"No, I checked every single bar in this town. I can't find him!" I huffed.

"Damon will show up when he wants to. Don't worry, you'll see him eventually." Elena rolled her eyes. Suddenly, the same crow appeared on Stefan's window sill.

"_Oh my god."_ I was getting really frustrated with these stupid birds.

"What?" They both looked at me like I was crazy and followed my gaze to the window.

"Oh, see what I mean?" Elena asked. The crow jumped of the sill, transforming to a man with beautiful black hair that seemed to reflect every color of the rainbow and black eyes. He was clad in black jeans, black jacket and a black shirt. He walked slowly towards me, never looking away.

"You know, Isabella, you should treat your family with respect instead of trying to push me off your car." He smirked. My mouth popped open, but no words came out. _Damon was the crow. _**(According to the books, vampires who drink human blood are more powerful than those who don't. Since Damon pretty powerful, he can alter his appearance into a bird. Since Bella just started drinking human blood again, she can't do that yet.) **I jumped into his arms. He kissed my forehead.

"I've missed you so much, sorellina." He whispered, his joking manner gone.

"I've missed you too."

"I've spent the last five hundred years thinking you were dead. I'm so sorry we left you."

"I didn't know where to find you after I was turned. I'm sorry." I felt guilty for putting my brothers through this.

"It's okay, Bella. Now that the family is back together, I guess we have to celebrate." He said, trying to lighten the mood. "But it seems you've already started." He glanced over at the empty glass on the table. I smiled.

"I think a party is an order." Damon was always one to party. This was my way of making my long absence up to him.

"Great minds think alike. How is this Friday at the Mystic Grill?"

"Perfect." I shrugged, smiling. I was surprised how foreign it felt to smile. I didn't think into it much, not wanting to ruin my moment of happiness.

"I'll go make the guest list." Damon said.

**Well? Tell me what you think.**

**Review, review, review! And I might write quicker. **


	4. Mysterious Happenings

**Writer's block kills. Anyway I'm still alive, working on more chapters and neglecting homework. Thank you kindly for the reviews – but I need more. My ego is hungry.**

**Still don't own anything. So on and so forth.**

Damon walked over to the corner of the room where Stefan's computer sat hiding under a layer of dust. Damon shot Stefan an annoyed look before cleaning off the computer and powering it up.

"Who's coming to the party?" I asked. I didn't really know anyone here and I doubt Angela and Ben would fly out to Virginia for a 'Welcome Home' party.

"I'll invite my best friends – Meredith and Bonnie…and Matt." Elena stated.

"Stefan, you have _friends_?" Damon was looking at Stefan's Facebook page in pure shock. Stephan ignored him.

I laughed for what seemed to be the first time in ages. It felt good to be with my real family. They helped keep my mind off of things. Of course, I couldn't always avoid the thoughts I tried desperately to ignore. They always found me no matter how hard I tried. The nightmares left me shaking and crying in my bed every night. It was always the same nightmare – me running through the forest, trying to keep up with _him. _He'd finally stop for me in our meadow and turn around with his dark, cold eyes and sneer, _"Did you really think you were good enough for me?" _He'd laugh at me as I fell onto the cold ground, crying.

I spent the next week with my brothers, catching up on the past 500 years. Damon seemed to cause trouble everywhere he went; I on the other hand couldn't avoid it. The stories he told left me in awe. He certainly left his mark in history. Stefan only rolled his eyes and put his attention back on Elena. I had grown to accept her presence in the past few days. She was a bit too headstrong at times and was clearly wore the pants in the relationship, not that Stefan minded.

I had recently met Elena's friends, Meredith, Bonnie and Matt, who were not in the least bit snobby like I had assumed. Meredith was gorgeous. She had black, glossy hair and dark gray eyes and flawless olive skin. She was quiet and obviously the wise one in the group. Bonnie painfully reminded me of Alice. She was small and easily excited, but was shyer and more emotional. She had red, curly hair that bounced every time she walked. I was shocked to find out she was a witch of Druid decent. She was more like Alice than I had wanted. Matt was the All American type of boy with blonde hair and blue eyes and the sweetest personality. He was like Mike Newton, but not as annoying. If I hadn't been heartbroken, I might have been interested.

Life wasn't exceptionally exciting, but it was a lot better than what would have happened if I stayed in Forks. The week passed by rather slowly, not that I was actually excited for the party Friday night or anything. The only action in this town was the recent disappearances of a few local girls. A couple of the bodies had been found drained of blood, but it looked like nothing more than a bunch of friends being stupid in the woods and ended up being attacked by animals. I, of course knew better than that. My brothers told me not to worry about it, but I couldn't help but think that the attacks would lead to us.

The local library had a limited number of books, all of which I had read before. It seemed this town had nothing going for it. And that was probably why Damon caused so much trouble. I was tempted to do something wild myself, but after the recent attacks, I didn't want to draw more attention.

On the plus side, the stupid crow called my brother wasn't following me anymore and I could hunt in peace. I focused on the local boys that thought they could take advantage of me at the bar. I felt myself slowly getting stronger, and it became almost an obsession. I wanted to be as strong as Damon and have all the abilities he had. He could read minds and turn into an animal and even manipulate the weather. If he wanted to, he could control weaker vampires. No one_ ever_ called him weak. He was everything I wasn't. And because I wasn't strong or powerful, the one I would have given everything up for left.

Carlisle POV

Ever since we left Forks, everyone in the family seemed to be affected by the loss of one of our family members. I could only hope that Bella was doing fine in our absence and was moving on like Edward had hoped. He, on the other hand, moped around the house and rarely hunted anymore. He stayed in his room for days, seemingly lost in his own mind at times. Jasper often had to leave the house because the strong emotions radiating off of everyone, including Rosalie, who seemed almost regretful of her behavior towards Bella. The move was exceptionally hard on both Alice and Esme. Esme felt as if she had lost another child, and Alice a best friend. They put up a strong front for everyone's sake. Seeing them suffer would only make Edward feel guiltier.

It was late Thursday night and the family and I were watching the news. A brunette with a short bob stared morbidly at the camera.

"_Hello, my name is Nina Sandoval. I'm bringing you an update on the series of recent attacks in Fell's Church, Virginia. Today, two more bodies have been found in the woods drained of blood. The bodies have been confirmed to be those of two local teenagers, Jordan Tyler and Lia Smith._" The screen showed head shots of average teen girls. "_Police have been able to find the cause of these recent attacks. A rare Prairie Wolf has been known to roam the area and police have been searching the forest for the wolf to stop any further attacks. Back to you, John Bosten._"

"A Prairie Wolf?" Emmett scoffed at the TV.

"Humans are so stupid sometimes." Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"I think we should go investigate these attacks." I said, standing up. My family nodded in agreement.

"Do you think it's a newborn?" Jasper furrowed his brows.

"No, newborns wouldn't have the restraint to wait and seek out its victims. All the victims in this came have been teen girls and were taken at different times." He said. I nodded slowly, "Alright, let's go."

We packed and left within fifteen minutes. The road trip didn't take us very long – only five hours from Buffalo, New York to the tiny town in Virginia. It was a quiet town with a noticeable history. All the buildings were old, but well kept. The sun was creeping up in the distance, casting a red glow on the town. Esme seemed to take a liking to the town as we passed through.

Very few people were out at this hour, so we had to wait to start questioning people. Around noon, we had our first lead. A boy named Tyler was talking animatedly with a girl in the park when Edward approached them. He questioned them as casually as possible before walking away with his newfound information.

"Well?" We asked.

"Well, he immediately told me about a boy named Stefan Salvatore who came to town about a year ago. He said odd things had happened when Stefan first came here and is really mysterious. His girlfriend had recently died without explanation as well." Edward said. **(Elena went into hiding after she died. She wears disguises so she's not locked up all day which is why she was at the mall…yeah that works) **"He and his brother are having a party at some bar and grill tonight."

"What time?" I glanced at my watch. It read 12:27 PM.

"He said around 7 o' clock." That gave us quiet some time before the party. We ended up touring the town for a few hours until the party. We pulled up to the Mystic Grill and anxiously went inside. Several people were already inside playing pool in the corner. Others were sitting at the bar, drinks in hand. A pretty red headed girl passed us.

"Hey!" Emmett called to her. She stared in awe at him.

"Yes?" She blushed.

"Do you know where Stefan is?" She smiled.

"He's playing pool over there." She pointed to a short man squinting his eyes at a red ball.

"Thanks. I'm Emmett." He held out his massive hand. Her tiny hand was about half the size of his.

"I'm-" She paused when their hands touched. Her eyes grew wide, but she quickly recovered."I'm Bonnie. I'll…see you." She quickly made her exit.

"What the heck was her problem?" Emmett looked over at Edward, who shrugged. He often had his head in the clouds. Emmett quickly dismissed it and we continued our mission. We sat in a corner booth, watching the party. Stefan didn't seem out of the ordinary – he was human. He played pool with some girl with a wig and big sun glasses, even though it was a dimly lit building. Our only lead had put us at a dead end. A few more people showed up and mingled with the other humans. A guy walked in with his arm around her shoulder. He guided her around the building introducing her to different people. The noise was too loud to hear anything they were saying.

"Maybe we should leave." Esme suggested.

"No, I'm sure_ someone_ in here knows something." Emmett was really just wanted to stay to stare at the pretty girls when Rosalie wasn't looking. The man walked to the table in front of us and started flirting with a blonde girl.

"Let's leave. Everyone in here is _human_." Rosalie grumbled. The boy and girl looked over at us and their eyes grew wide.

"It can't be." Jasper whispered.

**I know I take forever to update. Forgive me? I have two other stories that are keeping me busy.**

**Review. Review. Review. Please and thank you**


	5. Violent Reunion

**I'm trying to update sooner this time. Luckily, I have a snow day and a cold. However, I will accept my fate and move on with my life. **

**Don't own anything. Nothing has changed. Stop rubbing it in. Story time…**

BPOV

Damon was parading me around the building, introducing me to tons of people. He saw a pretty blonde girl sitting with her friend at a table in the middle of the room and quickly dragged me along to listen to his skilled seduction technique. I zoned in and out while he prattled on about something when we heard a low hiss from in front of us.

"Let's leave. Everyone in here is _human_." I recognized that voice. Both Damon and I glanced over at the booth, our eyes widening. I must be going crazy. Why would _they_ be here? I stared at their beautiful faces as they stared curiously at us.

"It can't be." Jasper whispered. Damon's eyes narrowed as he dragged me to the booth. I held my breath as I waited for someone to say something.

"How?" Jasper seemed to be the only one who realized it was me. Couldn't they smell my blood? I realized the drinking I did over the past week probably hid my scent.

"Everything is not as it seems. You of all people should know that." Damon said in a low whisper.

"How can you be alive? It's been 144 years." Jasper sputtered. Damon and Jasper knew each other? At least I still had my cover.

"I could ask you the same thing." Damon smiled.

"What are you?" Carlisle finally piped up.

"I'm a vampire, of course." Damon said smugly. My eyes widened in shock. What if they turned us into the Volturi? He was so stupid!

"You can't be." Rosalie hissed.

"There's more than one type, sweetheart." She growled at him.

"Have you been responsible for the recent attacks?" Carlisle's eyes narrowed at Damon.

"Even if I was, what would you do?" He teased.

"Did you attack those girls?" Carlisle demanded. I had never seen him angry before and frankly, it scared me. Damon just laughed and walked away, leaving me alone with an angry coven. I bolted from my spot as humanly as possible and looked for Stefan. Damon was already telling him about what had just happened. He laughed as he retold the story. Stefan frowned deepened as Damon continued.

"We'd like to talk to you - outside." Emmett was standing behind Damon with a menacing look upon his face.

"Can't you see I'm busy?" Damon sighed, but complied. Stefan and I followed them out into the back alley.

"Make this quick." He leaned against the wall casually.

"Did you or did you not kill those girls?"

"Ah, we're back to the age old question." He was enjoying this. The Cullens stood together with scowls etched on their perfect faces.

"Well?" Emmett stepped closer to us, threatening to attack.

"You really don't want to tempt me."

"There's only two of you and seven of us." Did they think I posed no threat? I was_ not _one of Damon's victims. Damon laughed yet again. "You really are as dumb as you look."

"You're all talk, man." He got into a crouching stance, his dark eyes on Damon. I noticed the rest of the family was ready if they were needed. As soon as Emmett lunged, Damon transformed into a crow and flew high into the air. A thick fog surrounded us – Damon's doing. I watched as Damon came back down and pushed Emmett into a wall. The other Cullens got closer and so did Stefan. I knew he wasn't nearly as strong as Damon because of his woodland creature diet. But he stepped forward anyway and Jasper got in his face, growling. He got Stefan on the ground before I had time to blink. He was tearing at my brother's throat. I sucked in a shaky breath. I hadn't had any experience in fighting and watched in horror as Jasper tried to rip my brother to shreds. I couldn't lose more of my family. Not again. I cautiously stepped forward towards Jasper and Stefan.

"Get her out of here. She's going to get hurt!" Carlisle screamed. Cold arms pulled me backward, away from the fight. I turned to see Alice and Esme looking at me with concern. Carlisle and Rosalie continued to watch the fight and Edward stared at me without any emotion like he had the day he left me. I felt anger rise in me as I tried weakly to pull away.

"We'll take care of them. They won't bother you anymore." Alice reassured me. How dare her touch me after what she put me through? I wouldn't forgive them that easily after what they did. Even if none of them knew it was me, I wanted to make sure they suffered.

I felt my fangs protruding from my gums and my blood race faster. I growled at her. She jumped back in surprise. I knew what Damon looked like when he got this mad, it was a terrifying sight – long pointy fangs and pulsing veins jutting our around menacing red eyes. I lunged after Jasper and threw him off Stefan, who had several scratches around his neck. He didn't look too good.

"Stefan?" He didn't answer. I heard their footsteps getting closer as I tried desperately to get my brother to wake up.

"Damon, he's not waking up!" I yelled to the crow that was doing wild aerial attacks on several of the Cullens. I got no response and did the first thing that came to mind- bite my own wrist open. Blood flowed freely from my wrist and I put it up to Stefan's mouth, willing him to drink. Eventually he responded, drinking enough to come to. He slapped my wrist away.

"Bella, you taste like tequila." I laughed weakly as I helped him up. The Cullens were surrounding us, growling. Damon transformed back into a human and stood with us.

"Even with Elena's blood, you're still a pansy." Damon rolled his eyes. **(Elena was an angel for a while, remember? Her blood made Stephan more powerful. The type of vampire that the Salvatore's are share blood with humans as a bonding ritual. No sex.) **

"If you're done, I'd like to go back to the party." I snapped. I could tell none of them were willing to give up that easily, but I wanted to get away from them.

"We came here to stop the attacks so the Volturi won't get involved." Carlisle was now trying to smooth things over. He gave a look to his family to make them stop growling at us.

"What we're dealing with is a lot worse than your stupid Volturi." Damon said darkly. I glanced up at him. What wasn't he telling me?

"What are you dealing with?" It got dead silent, as we all waited for Damon to answer.

**Well? This chapter didn't exactly turn out the way I planned. I wanted Bella drunk. But I'm sick and my nose is distracting me. **

**I updated quickly, didn't I? What, about three days? Hopefully my writing quality is good enough for you guys. Review? **


	6. The Untold Truth

**I know it's been forever and a day : ( I'm writing. I promise.**

**On with the story**

**Still don't own anything**

"What we're dealing with is a lot worse than your stupid Volturi." Damon

said darkly. I glanced up at him. What wasn't he telling me?

"What are you dealing with?" It got dead silent, as we all waited for Damon to answer.

Damon raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms with what looked to be amusement on his face. "I'm afraid that's really none of your concern. And if you were planning to charm us into telling you, attacking us was probably not the best idea."

The Cullens stood in their perfect line with similar looks of disgust on their face. Most of them were left unscathed, except for Emmett and Jasper who actually fought. Their clothes were ripped in places and Jasper's shirt had Stefan's blood splattered in places.

"Perhaps we could help?" Carlisle offered, though he looked none too willing to say it. Damon threw his head back and laughed.

"What could you possibly do to help? Your little guard dogs barely did damage to us. Who we're dealing with has the power and strength that none of your puny minds could even fathom."

"We...apologize for attacking. But we're just trying to prevent the Volturi from coming here. Keeping our existence a secret is very important to them and we'd really prefer to stay out of their path if the situation here got too out of hand." Carlisle said.

"That isn't my problem, now is it? This is my family's business and if you don't mind my siblings and I are leaving." Damon wrapped his arm around me and forcefully pushed me out of the alley while Stefan followed. I heard low growls from behind as we exited onto the street.

"What are we dealing with?" I pulled out of Damon's grasp and waited. Curiosity was distracting me from the dull pain in my chest that was slowly surfacing. I was doing all I could do to stop thinking about _him._

"Not here." He got into the car and waited as Stefan ran inside to get the others. The ride to the boarding house was quiet and tense. I stared out the window, watching the forest go by in a blur. I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

What could be worse than the Volturi? The Volturi was powerful purely by its size, if nothing more. If Damon felt the need to withhold information, it must be dangerous. I could feel my heart thump unevenly as the car pulled to a stop in front of the boarding house.

Damon guided us wordlessly up the stairs to Stefan's room and waited for all of us to sit down. He leaned casually against the door frame as he all took our places. When he didn't bother to say anything, I spoke up.

"Well?" I asked impatiently.

"Well...how do I put this lightly? Hm. Since we killed Klaus, all the remaining original vampires are coming after us determined to make us die a slow painful death until we repay our debt." He shrugged. I could feel waves of panic roll off everyone **(sensing emotion was one of the many perks of drinking human ****blood).**

"You said they only wanted to talk." Stefan looked furious.

"I lied." Damon shrugged.

"Why the hell wouldn't you tell us?" I snapped, glaring at my eldest brother.

"Why? Because you worry too much, Isabella. And we wouldn't want you to get wrinkles in that pretty little face of yours."

"It won't matter if they kill us all. So, what's our plan?" Meredith glanced casually around the room, waiting for someone to respond. Everyone's eyes went to Damon who looked bored with the conversation.

"Let me consult my magic eight ball and I'll get back to you." He said, walking out of the room. His footsteps slowly quieted. With my heightened senses, I could hear a glass scraping against the counter top and the smell of

strong liquor being poured.

"Don't worry, sorellina, we'll come up with something." Stefan said, sensing my distress. I looked around the room. Bonnie was whimpering in Elena's arms while Matt and Meredith talked quietly about the situation. How could four helpless humans and three average vampires possibly take on the originals?

Carlisle POV

"Well, that was an epic fail." Emmett growled as we all got into the car.

"We're not going to give up that easily. Whatever we're dealing with is

putting our family in danger and I won't let that happen." I said, not feeling too optimistic myself.

"Carlisle, you saw we _barely_ did any damage to them. Damon is right, maybe we should just let them deal with it and keep ourselves safe." Jasper looked absolutely livid. I shook my head.

"We need to find out what's going on. Which means we need to get along with the Salvatores."

"How do we even know if they were telling the truth?" Esme finally spoke up.

"We don't. But there's not much else we can do." It was quiet the rest of the drive. I finally pulled over on the side of the road so we could hunt. We stepped out onto the field hesitantly. There was something off about the woods.

"And I can't even see anythi- did you see something?" Alice's eyes scanned the trees for whatever just flew past.

"Alice, don't be such a wimp. I'm sure it's nothing." Emmett laughed, but it was obvious that he was just as worried as we all were.

"Come on-" Before I could finish my sentence, something darted across the road and into the woods, which seemed to close in on itself, hiding any evidence of a path.

_"What the hell was that?"_

**I know it's short, but I finally rewrote it. Happy? Hopefully it was worth**

**the wait. **

**Review please. **


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